Report: Broncos Free Up $11M by Restructuring RT Mike McGlinchey

The Denver Broncos were given some breathing room on the salary cap thanks to Mike McGlinchey.

The Denver Broncos were able to get safety P.J. Locke re-signed this weekend thanks to a handful of roster moves made last week. Many of them were painful, especially the release of Justin Simmons. 

One that didn't sting at all was the restructuring of right tackle Mike McGlinchey's contract, which reportedly cleared up $11 million salary-cap space, according to ESPN's Field Yates.

"And more cap space for Denver, as the team did a simple restructure of the contract of OT Mike McGlinchey, creating another $11M in room," Yates reported on X. 

And more cap space for Denver, as the team did a simple restructure of the contract of OT Mike McGlinchey, creating another $11M in room. https://t.co/6uKTYYfSdr

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 8, 2024

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McGlinchey was the Broncos' crown jewel free-agent signing last year, garnering a five-year deal worth $87.5 million with $35 million guaranteed at signing. The Broncos reportedly tweaked McGlinchey's $15M salary by reducing it to $1.125M, converting the remainder into a signing bonus, giving the team some breathing room, though it did require the addition of a 2028 void year.

It wasn't a great first season in Denver. The former San Francisco 49ers top-10 pick was mostly reliable from an availability standpoint, starting 16 of 17 games at right tackle. 

As a run blocker, McGlinchey was his typically solid self. In pass protection, though, it was a different story. He was quite streaky, finishing as the 39th-ranked offensive tackle in Pro Football Focus' grading system with a 67.5 cumulative grade. 

McGlinchey was credited with relinquishing 49 total QB pressures, including eight hits and six sacks. It's not easy for a tackle to block for a quarterback like Russell Wilson, who holds onto the ball too long and is rarely where he's supposed to be in the pocket. 

However, there were plenty of times that McGlinchey was straight beaten off the snap by an opposing edge rusher. It's an element of his game the Broncos need to clean up. 

McGlinchey just turned 29 years old, so he's still in the peak of his prime years, albeit, perhaps on the back-nine, so to speak. With modern NFL tackles playing deep into their 30s, if McGlinchey can turn the ship around as a pass blocker, he still has a chance to solve the Broncos' long-term right tackle woes. 

He brings more to the table than just his impact on the field. McGlinchey is also a great leader and represents the Broncos well. 

Here's to hoping 2024 will be a better season for McGlinchey. If Sean Payton is able to identify and secure a quarterback in the draft who is comfortable in the pocket, it will make life exceedingly easier on McGlinchey and whoever is book-ending him at left tackle. 

For now, that would appear to be Garett Bolles. But there are a few days left before the NFL's new league year hits, and anything could happen. 

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